Try for Free
tab list
Picture Insect
English
arrow
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية
Home Application Download FAQ
English
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية
Icon about
About
Icon about
General Info
Icon about
Search Tips
Icon about
Harmful or Not
Icon about
Harmful Effects
Icon about
Common FAQs
Icon about
Similar Insects
Icon about
Popular Insects
Nursery web spider

Nursery web spider

Pisaura mirabilis

A species of Pisaura, Also known as Nursery-web spider

The nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) is not something you would expect in a nursery rhyme. Instead, it earns its name from the web it spins to hold its young. It is identified by having long legs and a slender abdomen, with one pair of the legs being longer than the rest. It is one of the few spiders that offers a nuptial gift, which females bite into when beginning to mate.

Toxic to Animals
Toxic to Animals
Bite Humans
Bite Humans
General Info About Nursery web spider
Instantly identify insects with a snap
Snap a photo for instant insect ID and risk assessment, gaining quick insights on bite assessment, toxicity, pest control, behavior, habitat, and safe interaction tips, etc.
Download the App for Free
Rectangle
Attributes of Nursery web spider
Colors
Brown
Yellow
Gray
Habitat
wet meadow; lowland moor; salt marsh; dune; the edge of forest; wet hedge
Adult Food Sources
Flies, moths, beetles, butterflies, other arthropods
Larva Food Source
Small insects, aphids, mites, juvenile spiders, springtails
Biting/stinging
Not reported
Allergy-causing
Not reported
Defensive attack
Not reported
Venomous
The Nursery web spider can induce toxic reactions varying in severity. Nevertheless, these toxins primarily target their prey and predators and are usually not fatal to humans.
Non-poisonous
Not reported
Borer
Not reported
Pollinator
Not reported
Pest-Eating Predatory
Not reported
Phytophagous
Not reported
Predatory
The Nursery web spider typically preys on other arthropods and does not directly affect plants.
Biting animal or pet
Yes
qrcode
Img download isoImg download android
Rectangle
Species Status of Nursery web spider
It has a palearctic distribution, and can be found all over Europe. They inhabit the Canary Islands and Madeira, the Asian part of Russia, China and North Africa.
Rectangle
Distribution Area of Nursery web spider
Britain
Rectangle
Appearance of Nursery web spider
Striking characteristics of Pisaura mirabilis are its long legs (the fourth one being the longest) and its slender abdomen (opisthosoma). The male is between 1 cm and 1.3 cm ,while the female is 1.2 cm to 1.5 cm. After final ecdysis, the male spiders weigh on average 54 mg and females 68 mg.The prosoma (cephalothorax) is variable in color, ranging from light to reddish brown and from gray to black. A lighter stripe is visible down the middle of the prosoma. The opisthosoma (abdomen) is long and narrow and tapered towards the rear end.The female spiders has a dark patch (epigyne) on the underside of her abdomen that includes the copulatory organs. Male genital openings can be found at the same location, but remain inconspicuous.Patterning and coloration varies due to polymorphism.
ImageImageImageImageImage

How to Identify Nursery web spider?

Rectangle
Adult Size of Nursery web spider
1 - 1.5 cm
Rectangle
Predators of Nursery web spider Larvae
Frogs, toads, birds, larger spiders, ants, wasps
Rectangle
Predators of Adult Nursery web spider
Birds, larger spiders, lizards, mammals
Rectangle
Interesting Facts About Nursery web spider
Unique among spiders, nursery web spider presents its mate with a wrapped insect gift to avoid becoming the gift itself during mating.
Rectangle
Scientific Classification of Nursery web spider
Tips for Finding Nursery web spider
Your ultimate guide to understanding insects
Unlock the secrets of insect life cycles, habitats, behaviors and observation tips!!
Download the App for Free
Rectangle
Youth Habitat of Nursery web spider
Forests and Woodlands, Grasslands and Prairies, Urban and Suburban Areas
Rectangle
Adult Habitat of Nursery web spider
Forests and Woodlands, Grasslands and Prairies, Freshwater Habitats, Marine Environments, Urban and Suburban Areas, Agricultural and Cultivated Areas
Rectangle
How Can You Attract Nursery web spider
Nursery web spider can be attracted to traps using insects such as flies or small moths, as part of scientific studies or for amateur observation.
Rectangle
When is the Best Time to Observe Nursery web spider
The suitable time to find nursery web spider is typically during daylight hours when they are most active, especially in the warmer months when they are out hunting or looking for mates.
Rectangle
What is the Best Weather to Observe Nursery web spider
Nursery web spider prefers warm and dry weather conditions but can also be found after rain when the humidity is high, which facilitates their hunting.
Rectangle
How and Where Can You Find Nursery web spider at Different Life Stages
Juvenile Nursery web spider juveniles can be found close to the ground in lower vegetation or leaf litter. To locate them, search through leaf litter and look under small rocks and fallen branches where they might be hiding.
Adult Nursery web spider adults build their characteristic nursery webs in taller vegetation. To find adult nursery web spider, walk through meadows or near the edges of forests and look for their distinctive webs among plants, especially in areas with abundant insect activity.
Are Nursery web spider harmful?
Your Complete Pest Control Guide
Discover effective tips for preventing and eliminating pest infestations to keep bugs away from your home.
Download the App for Free
Harmful Effects of Nursery web spider
Reveal the harmful impacts of diverse insects
Explore the dangers of insects related to toxicity, lethality, human biting, human stinging, pathogenicity, hematophagy, allergenicity, parasitism, etc.
Download the App for Free
Icon toxic for
Toxic to Animals
Icon toxic for
Bite Humans
Rectangle
Toxic to Animals

Nursery web spider typically harms other animals through bites with its fangs. While its venom is considered mild, it can cause discomfort or mild reactions in humans and pets such as dogs and cats. Smaller animals, such as mice, may experience more severe symptoms, and insects can be significantly affected due to their smaller body size and different physiology.

Rectangle
Bite Humans

Nursery web spider is not usually prone to biting humans. They typically reserve biting for prey or as a defensive action when threatened. If a bite occurs, it is mainly due to mishandling or provocation, employing their fangs defensively. The consequences of such a bite are generally minor, causing slight discomfort rather than severe reactions.

More Effects of Nursery web spider

Common Questions People Also Ask
Get Quick Insect Answers with a Snap
Snap a photo for instant insect ID and answers on bites, toxicity, pest control, behavior, habitat, and safety tips!
Download the App for Free
More Insects that are Similar to Nursery web spider
Common white-flanked water spider
Common white-flanked water spider

Distinctive for its semi-aquatic lifestyle, common white-flanked water spider exhibits a remarkable adaptation to life both in and out of water. While the adults are consummate hunters on land, skillfully capturing prey with their agile movements, the juveniles take refuge in the water, displaying surprising dexterity in this unusual habitat. Their diet is predominantly carnivorous, ranging from aquatic insects to small land invertebrates.

Read More
Arrow
Dark Fishing Spider
Dark Fishing Spider

The dark Fishing Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus) can hold air on the small hairs of its body so that it can breathe underwater and catch tadpoles. If approached near the water, they tend to dart under the surface and run away. Much like the wolf spider (Lycosidae), it does not use webbing to hunt. Instead, it uses webbing as a nursery for their young.

Read More
Arrow
Nursery web spider
Nursery web spider

The nursery web spider (Dolomedes minor) builds its thick, cotton-like webs into a nest-like structure to protect its young. The nests are usually built on low shrubs, and the females lay their eggs inside the structures. During the day, the adults are active, but at night the females always return to guard the nest.

Read More
Arrow
Striped fishing spider
Striped fishing spider

Like most people who like to fish, the striped fishing spider (Dolomedes scriptus) feel most at home in the middle of nowhere, near the side of a lake. Fisher spiders wait for their prey using the ripples of water, just like a bobber and a rod. These are identified with their dark brown body and a stripe down each side of it.

Read More
Arrow
White-banded fishing spider
White-banded fishing spider

The white-banded fishing spider (Dolomedes vittatus) can be identified with a combination of white bands and dark spots located on its body. You can often see it walking on water with a safety line back to dry line when huntings its prey. They are part of a group known as nursery web spiders, meaning they have a web sac inside of a tent for their young.

Read More
Arrow
Raft spider
Raft spider

Equipped with supreme aquatic skills, raft spider astounds with its ability to sprint across water, a talent facilitated by hydrophobic hairs on its feet. An adept ambush predator, it is known to consume aquatic prey like fish, a dietary habit unusual among its terrestrial counterparts. This unique feeding strategy is complemented by its ability to remain submerged underwater for extended periods, a trait that reinforces its status as an aquatic specialist within its realm.

Read More
Arrow
Striped fishing spider
Striped fishing spider

Adorned with a pattern of stripes along its body, striped fishing spider is an adept semi-aquatic predator, often found skimming the surfaces of freshwater habitats. Remarkably, it possesses the ability to detect and capture prey not just above water, but also beneath the surface, due to its specialized hairs that sense vibrations, enabling it to snag insects, small fish, and amphibians. As part of its life cycle, offspring are carried on the mother's back after hatching, showcasing a unique aspect of its reproductive behavior.

Read More
Arrow
Great raft spider
Great raft spider

The great raft spider or fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius) is a European species of spider in the family Pisauridae. Like other Dolomedes spiders, it is semiaquatic, hunting its prey on the surface of water. It occurs mainly in neutral to alkaline, unpolluted water of fens and grazing marsh.

Read More
Arrow
Other Popular Insects
Western honey bee
Western honey bee

Western honey bee(Apis mellifera) is the most common species of honeybee in the world. Among the first domesticated insects, its cultural and economic impact on humanity has been vast and far-reaching, providing honey, wax and its services as a pollinator. Western honey bee faces challenges worldwide, such as colony collapse disorder, and populations are thought to be decreasing.

Read More
Arrow
Monarch butterfly
Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is the most recognizable butterfly in North America. It is best known for its appearance, but should be better known for the fact that it has a 3000-mile migration that takes the butterfly 4 generations to complete. Their diet is also a natural deterrent for predators, as they eat milkweed, a poison that induces vomiting.

Read More
Arrow
Japanese rhinoceros beetle
Japanese rhinoceros beetle

The japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) is a massive beetle about the size of the palm of a hand. It's distinguished by its long Y-shaped horn, which it uses to fight other males with. It's a nocturnal bug that feeds on sap and sweet fruits. This species is sometimes kept as a pet due to its unique appearance and simple care requirements.

Read More
Arrow
Silkworm
Silkworm

The silken threads produced by silkworm during its larval stage have been highly coveted for millennia, manifesting as a luxurious fabric in human society. Remarkably, this creature has a singular diet, feeding exclusively on the leaves of its primary host plant from which it extracts the necessary nutrients to facilitate its transition into a non-feeding, winged adult.

Read More
Arrow
Menelaus blue morpho
Menelaus blue morpho

Menelaus blue morpho (Morpho menelaus) is a gorgeous butterfly with large, royal blue wings. Linnaeus named the genus Morpho the Aphrodite-Ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty for its extreme beauty. It is native to tropical rainforests. Though many butterfly gardens now cultivate them in captivity, there are still many people who never get a chance to see them.

Read More
Arrow
Atlas moth
Atlas moth

While the atlas moth (Attacus atlas) can't tell you where to find your country on the map, it does earn its name through other means. It is one of the largest moths in the world, with a wingspan that is far larger than its body, creating an abnormal comparison. In India, their silk is gathered in a non-commercial capacity and is considered to be more durable than the domestic silkworm.

Read More
Arrow
Flying peacock spider
Flying peacock spider

Both sexes reach about 5 mm in body length. Females and immatures of both sexes are brown but have color patterns by which they can be distinguished from related species. Also, the males dance to attract females.

Read More
Arrow
Multicolored asian ladybeetle
Multicolored asian ladybeetle

Often confused for the ladybug, multicolored asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) is a separate species that, unlike the ladybug, is a household pest. It is considered particularly annoying for its habit of returning to places from which it is removed. One of the most variable species in the world, there are many different colors and patterns multicolored asian ladybeetle may display, making identification potentially difficult.

Read More
Arrow